BOG 2022: Celebrating Life through Science 

Tel Aviv University has always cherished the longstanding partnership between the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and TAU’s Argentinean Friends Association. The partnership, which extends over two decades, helped the Faculty blossom into one of the world’s leading biological research institutions, with more than 100 laboratories and over 500 graduate students.  

This year, at the Board of Governors meeting, Argentinean governors and friends finally met again with researchers and students from the Life Sciences.  The gathering honored loyal TAU Honorary Doctor, Governor and friend Miriam Smolarz, who turned 102 in April, by awarding scholarships in her name to four outstanding Life Sciences graduate students.  

“This has been a tough year for us, a year in which happiness and sadness were intertwined,” said Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich, the Faculty’s Vice Dean, referring to the passing of TAU Honorary Doctor Adolfo Smolarz, Miriam’s husband, a few months earlier.   

Prof. Abdussalam Azem, Dean of the Faculty, reflected on the Smolarz family’s and Argentinian Friends’ contribution to the Faculty throughout the years. “To be the best, we need to attract the best students. We do so with the help of our friends, who make sure that our Faculty stays among the top in the world, both in research and in facilities,” he said.   

Polly Deutsch, President of the Argentinian Friends of TAU, and Governor Aida Smolarz, Miriam and Adolfo’s daughter, presented the honorary scholarships. “This country and this University – you make us proud,” Deutsch said to the recipients.  

The Fellowships were awarded to Noam Harel, Shahar Dubiner, Shai Zilberzwige -Tal, and Edo Kon for their research in RNA viruses, climate change, cell-on-chip platforms, mRNA vaccines and cancer therapeutics respectively.